Where does “shoestring” come from?
Shoestring comes from English shoe, from Middle English shoo, from Old English hēo, from Proto-Germanic skōhaz, from Proto-Indo-European roots ḱe- and skek-.
shoestring (English): The string or lace used to secure the shoe to the...
Definitions
- The string or lace used to secure the shoe to the...
Ancestry of “shoestring”, step by step
shoestring traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English shoe
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | shoe | A protective covering for the foot, with a bottom... |
| 2 | German | Schuh | shoe |
| 3 | Middle High German | schuo | — |
| 4 | Old High German | scuoh | shoe |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | skōh | shoe |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | skōhaz | shoe |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | skewk- | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)kew- | to caw, to howl; to cover, hide; to cover, hide,... |